Like many Druids I'm very keen on science and entirely open to the wise development of technology. At the same time I feel very strongly that we cannot expect to tech our way out of the climate crisis. As a species, we have to reduce how much we use and destroy. We can't keep on as we are while expecting science and new technology to make that feasible for us and for the planet.
Often tech that claims to be green is sold to us on the basis of being more efficient than some other existing technology. This can be misleading - especially if you don't really know how inefficient and problematic the other tech really is. What we really need to be doing is comparing new tech to doing things by hand. How efficient is a mode of transport compared to walking, for example?
Here's an interesting example - the power it takes to run an electric bike takes less generating than increasing your calorie intake to power a bike.
I've recently acquired a washing machine that can handle laundry effectively at 15 degrees C, while using very little detergent. This is better, environmentally speaking than I can manage hand washing - I've done a lot of handwashing. I can't do it effectively at that temperature nor can I do it with that little detergent, at which point the technology clearly offers something worth having.
Greater efficiency is always good, but it may not be the biggest issue. One of the things we most urgently need with manufactured goods is to get rid of built-in obsolescence. We need the right to repair, and the means to repair. Throwing away devices because one part is broken and cannot be fixed or replaced is incredibly wasteful and destructive. It does however help companies make a profit, and profit is considered more important than the planet, this is unlikely to change.
The impact of fashion, and the pressure to consume have an impact on how we view technology. We get sold things on the basis that their newness makes them attractive. Better than ever, faster, and perhaps even more efficient - the value of getting a new whatever never seems to take into account the impact of getting rid of something that was working perfectly well. At least some objects will be taken away by the people who sold you the new one, and that does help us. It would be better if manufacturers had responsibility for the full lives of their products and I suspect that would do a lot to shift their priorities. The cost of disposal tends to fall on local councils in the UK, and thus on all of us. This could stand a rethink.
Technology isn't the simple answer to the climate crisis. Better technology has it's advantages, but we need to rethink how we sell and consume items, and how they work within the framework of our societies. Reusing, re-purposing, recycling, repairing and improving what we already have without replacing it all need to be part of the mix.
For more thoughts on sustainable living, check out my book - Earth Spirit Beyond Sustainability If you get an ebook from the publisher before the end of August, use the code SUMMER23 and it will be half price. All of my Moon Books titles are in this sale.
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